HodoThai Red Curry Tofu

In every issue of Vegan Journal, we review vegan products that we especially like. In our recent issue we review Hodo Foods Saucy Tofu that comes in three globally inspired flavors. Read the product review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue3/2025_issue3_veggie_bits.php

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By Amy Burger

As kids mature, they start thinking more deeply about right and wrong, figuring out who they are, and forming their own opinions. Fiction is a great way for them to explore vegan ideas, sometimes through characters who are vegan themselves, or through stories about animal rights, protecting the environment, or standing up against unfair systems. These books get readers thinking about their own choices and help them picture what the world could look like if we all acted with more compassion and stood up for what we believe in.

• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White: A beloved, classic story that emphasizes the emotional depth of animals and the concept of not eating friends.
• Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: A 19th-century classic told from a horse’s point of view, advocating for humane treatment of animals.
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate: Focuses on a captive gorilla and the ethics of animal entertainment.
• Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler: This coming-of-age story of a close-in-age aunt and niece who are very different from each other explores the question of self-identity.
• Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress by G.G. Silverman: This quirky horror-comedy that follows vegan teens in a zombie apocalypse is the first in the two-book Redvale Zombie Prom series.
• How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery: This nonfiction book chronicles the author’s relationships with animals. Montgomery has written several other animal-centric titles for a variety of ages.

For middle and high school readers, reading encourages thinking about and sometimes questioning what they believe in. These books offer thoughtful, age-appropriate stories that help readers reflect on important issues and grow as people.

gettyimages photo

In the latest issue of Vegan Journal, Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, answers a reader’s question about the role of soyfoods in bone health. Read her Nutrition Hotline column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue3/2025_issue3_nutrition_hotline.php

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photo from www.tamingtwins.com

Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, provides a list of kid-friendly vegan snacks that are nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, and have five or less grams of added sugar per serving.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue3/2023_issue3_nutfree_snacks.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/

Tomato Basil Gigante Beans photo by Hannah Kaminsky

It’s a joy to prepare meals during summertime in the USA and Tess Challis shares a wide variety of dishes using summer’s bounty in the latest issue of Vegan Journal. Recipes included are Cucumber Sesame Salad, Tomatofu Toast, Tomato Basil Gigante Beans, Corn Season Salad, Hummus Eggplant Lavash Wrap, and Farmers Market Herby Potato Salad. Read Tess’s article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue3/2025_issue3_forever_summer.php

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photo from Wegmans

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Grocery prices keep going higher. Many of us don’t have a lot of time to go to several different store in a quest to find the lowest priced items. It’s a challenge to stay on a food budget. Earlier this year, several interns worked with me on a project to develop low-cost vegan menus. The interns’ task was to go to supermarkets and check prices on a long list of vegan foods. They visited supermarkets in person and virtually in different areas of the United States. Based, in part, on what they found, here are some ideas for lower cost vegan shopping.

1. Store brands are often lower priced and are nutritionally similar to name brands. There may be some cases where you prefer a more expensive name brand because of taste or another quality but in many cases, the less expensive store brand is quite acceptable.
2. A lower price does not necessarily mean it’s the best buy. One intern learned about this when pricing frozen vegetables. Yes, a 12-ounce package of frozen corn cost less than 1-pound package but the price per ounce was lower for the larger package. If you know you’ll use the larger package and it costs less per ounce, you’ll save money in the long-term.
3. Sometimes it makes sense to purchase a smaller package size. We found a gallon jug of soy sauce cost less per ounce than a smaller bottle, but you may not need a gallon of soy sauce.
4. In contrast to the last time we looked at prices of vegan groceries, we found it was significantly cheaper to buy refrigerated soymilk compared to shelf-stable soymilk. For a family of four, a week’s worth of refrigerated soymilk ranged from 14% to 75% less expensive than a week’s worth of shelf-stable soymilk.
5. Your time is valuable. Often price variations between stores even out with some items costing more at one store and other items costing more at the other. If your time is limited, choose one store where you like the prices and the quality and shop there most of the time instead of trying to go to several stores in search of the lowest price.
6. For foods that are staples in a vegan diet, perhaps tofu and canned beans, if you have storage space and the expiration date on the tofu is a month or more out, you may decide to buy a month’s worth of these foods at a time at the area store with the lowest price.
7. Bags of produce (apples, onions, potatoes, oranges, for example) are often less expensive per pound than single fruits or vegetables. If your family will eat the larger amount, a bag of produce can offer savings.
8. Check the price of frozen vegetables. Especially for produce that wasn’t in season, we found that frozen vegetables cost less than fresh.

For more ideas for low-cost vegan eating see:

How Can I Eat Vegan on a Budget?

Food Economics: Canned Beans versus Cooked Dried Beans

Low-cost Vegan Menus

Vegan at the Dollar Tree

Egg Replacers: Good for Animals and the Planet and Your Budget

Located a few blocks away from the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University, Doppio Pasticceria offers one vegan pizza on their menu and it’s delicious! The Marinara consists of red sauce, oregano, black pepper, and bread crumbs. You can also select additional toppings such as spinach, olives, onions, and mushrooms. Weather permitting you can sit outside at one of their picnic tables. There’s also some indoor tables. For more information, see: https://www.doppiobaltimore.com/

By Amy Burger

Books can be a great way to teach young children about kindness, caring for others, and living thoughtfully. If you’re raising vegan children, picture books are perfect for helping them develop compassion for animals and the environment. The following books tell engaging, age-appropriate stories that naturally introduce the values behind veganism. Through fun rhymes, sweet animal stories, or colorful adventures, these books give parents easy opportunities to talk with their kids about important values during reading time.

• V is for Vegan by Ruby Roth: An ABC-style book that teaches children the core values of veganism with fun rhymes and colorful images. Roth has written additional vegan titles, including The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids.
• Junebug: No Life Too Small by Nicole Daniels: The plot follows a young girl who discovers the emotional depth of animals and begins to ask questions about eating them.
• Steven the Vegan by Dan Bodenstein: Main character Steven goes on a school trip to a farm and explains his veganism to classmates with empathy and humor.
• Dave Loves Chickens by Carlos Patiño: A silly yet informative book featuring Dave, a blue alien, who learns why animals like chickens deserve kindness.
• The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter & Caprice Crane: A charming tale based on a real animal who became a vegan icon, this story is about a micro pig who grew larger than expected and changed her humans’ lives.
• A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz: The story of Alan, who wants to be a voice for the big cats at the zoo but struggles to do so due to a stutter.

These books help kids develop a caring outlook that values kindness, fairness, and respect for all living creatures. If you’re looking to teach your child compassion, these stories provide a way to introduce children to important ideas about how we treat others.

Location: Avon Park, FL

There is a proposal to build a Jain senior community in Florida. They say: Guidance is to provide Vegetarian Menu with proper Jain Options. For more detail, see https://jainseniorhousing.org/

January, 2028 seems to be preliminary estimated date for the first houses to be built, with a few model homes to be shown earlier. Use due diligence when exploring this option.

eggplant photo from Freepik

Here are some eggplant ideas from Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

• Roast an eggplant whole, in the oven or on the grill, until soft enough to mash with a fork. Scoop out pulp and add oil and vinegar, garlic, and black pepper to use as a dip or salad dressing. This dish is sometimes called “eggplant caviar.”
• For homemade baba ghanoush, purée roasted eggplant and mix with garlic, tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, chopped parsley, and olive oil. Use it as a dip for vegetables or as a sandwich filling.
• Mix diced, grilled eggplant with grilled peppers, lentils, onions, and garlic. Serve cold, topped with balsamic vinaigrette, or hot, atop grains, pasta, or pizza.
• Skip-the-Frying Baked Eggplant: Peel eggplant and cut into ½-inch slices. Create a breading with your favorite crumbs (bread, cornmeal, etc.) and dried Italian herbs (garlic powder, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, etc.). Spray eggplant slices with vegetable oil, coat with breading, place on non-stick pan, and bake until soft. Layer baked eggplant into a deep baking dish, alternating layers with thick tomato sauce; drained, diced, canned tomatoes; sliced mushrooms (if desired); and either shredded vegan cheese or thinly sliced extra-firm tofu. Cover and bake until bubbly.
• Mini Japanese or Thai eggplant stuffed with a mixture of diced smoked tofu, tempeh, or veggie crumbles; pine nuts; and roasted peppers. Wrap in foil and bake.
• Make Eggplant Frisbees: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place slices of unpeeled eggplant (about ½-inch thick) individually on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle with grated vegan cheese, minced onions, sunflower seeds, and nutritional yeast. Bake until bubbly and the eggplant is slightly soft. The Frisbees may also be used as eggplant burgers served on a hearty roll with fixins.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue4/2021_issue4_cooking_tips.php

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